Resetting Lady - Chapter 168

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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‘Except for me, they don’t even know the proper taste.’

While Selina and Isella shook their heads at the bitter drink, Verdick, who loved fine cuisine, was different. Simply sweet and greasy things weren’t the only fine cuisine. Bitter and astringent tastes were also stimulation and happiness. Verdick loved himself as a gourmet. That was something more pure and beautiful.

The side effect was that he couldn’t fall asleep easily after drinking it, but for people like Verdick who extremely reduced their sleep and worked day and night, even such side effects were a blessing.

“…Good.”

Verdick savored his morning coffee while thinking about when he should introduce this drink at the Countess’s salon. Countess Elba was an annoying woman, but she always gathered people around her and loved gossip. Her salon was always crowded.

“When I meet with Lord Hyer this time, I’m thinking of transferring that estate to Isella’s share.”

Verdick spoke of his plan.

Anyway, most of the rights had already been transferred to Verdick. The lord continued to sit in name only, and the next generation’s lord would also be inherited by relatives, but that was merely a facade.

Isella would marry Raymond and become the actual landowner there. And there she would get a feel for being a landowner, show her face in social circles, and then ‘unluckily’ when Raymond’s older brother died, she would naturally be incorporated into a noble family.

“Isn’t it too early for her to become a mistress yet?”

“That’s why it’s just right. Even if that one thing gets ruined, it won’t be much of a problem. The next lord is said to be a priest, so it would be enough to tell him to live in the parsonage.”

One estate or so wouldn’t be much of a problem even if Isella did as she pleased with it. Isella was still young, but Verdick had enough ability to rescue her even if she went bankrupt. As a kind of business site, Isella would get to hold the land. Selina nodded.

“I see. That’s a good idea. But you’ll have the wedding ceremony in the capital, right?”

“That’s right. But I’m thinking of having the engagement ceremony there. We need to let the estate residents know who the new owner of that land is.”

Isella’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Am I finally going to have an engagement ceremony with Raymond?”

“That’s right. Then honey, I’ll finish selecting a seamstress in the capital and send her straight to the Hyer Estate.”

“That sounds fine.”

Knock knock.

Isella’s face hardened. How dare someone interrupt when her mother and father were finally having a conversation together for once. Selina also frowned in displeasure. But Verdick didn’t seem particularly displeased as he stood up immediately. A servant quietly opened the door.

“What is it?”

“Master, a guest has arrived. A young lady calling herself Karen Hyer.”

Selina and Isella’s eyes met. It was the daughter of the estate they would be going down to. It would be hard to become good friends with her; rather, they would only exchange unpleasant words. Verdick asked in a voice mixed with a sigh.

“Why did that woman come? Did the lord send her?”

“Actually, a telegram did arrive a few hours ago.”

“A few hours ago or now… she’s quite in a hurry. Lord Hyer’s daughter… why on earth?”

“Well…”

Verdick and the servant exchanged a few more words. Selina was slowly getting up from her seat, preparing to return to her room.

“Isella, you should get up now too.”

Isella watched Verdick’s behavior and gripped her skirt with her hands. That woman had ruined their rare family time. Verdick didn’t love Selina, and Selina didn’t love Verdick either. But because of Isella between them, they maintained the form of a family.

Once Isella got married, there would be even less of such time. How dare she. Isella bit her lip.

“Isella.”

Verdick called Isella.

“Yes, Father.”

“Karen Hyer has come to visit, so what would be the best way to handle this? We’re going to the Hyer Estate anyway, so since she’s come this far, it would be right to invite her into the manor. Selina, when will you leave for the capital?”

“I plan to depart soon. Then it would be fine for Isella to handle that young lady’s reception.”

Verdick nodded and then asked Isella as well.

“And she wants to see you. She’s waiting in the drawing room. She’s around your age, so would you like to meet her?”

Though he asked for her opinion, it meant she should go to the drawing room.

“I don’t want to.”

Isella answered. At that short response, Verdick raised his eyebrows in puzzlement.

“Though she’s the daughter of the fallen Lord Hyer, she’s the granddaughter of a count. She’s also the great-granddaughter of a grand duke. It’s a relationship that wouldn’t hurt to know. It would be good to meet her.”

But Isella shook her head.

“Father, do you see such people just once or twice? She’s scheming because she wants to get back even a little money.”

“It probably is scheming.”

Verdick nodded. Many people came to visit the manor. Please forgive the debt, please adjust the conditions, please accept this. In the end, it was all the same story. It was saying they couldn’t give up their money.

Of course, Verdick had no intention of being lenient with Lord Hyer, but he thought a woman who could serve as good decoration for Isella’s debut stage would be useful. But Isella didn’t want to see Karen.

“Send her away. No matter how noble her ancestors’ blood is, what does that matter now?”

* * *

Karen waited for quite a while.

Nancy and the coachman weren’t allowed to enter the manor, so only Karen had to come in.

“How much longer do I have to wait to see Mr. Verdick or Miss Isella?”

“Please wait just a moment.”

They didn’t say that Isella wasn’t there or what had happened. Fortunately, it seemed Raymond hadn’t gone to find Isella yet.

“Then I’ll wait.”

Karen leaned against the sofa and looked around the interior. It was a different place from Isella’s mansion in the capital. The building in the capital was a gorgeous and magnificent summer vacation home, but the manor here was a more practical building.

One could move around with minimal routes, and the interior materials were also simpler. Rather than a luxury mansion, it was a manor more suited to a business site. Even so, it was much more luxurious than the Hyer Estate.

The dark marble laid on the floor was something even the countess couldn’t afford.

But Verdick’s hobbies were fully revealed through the fur rugs on the floor that didn’t match the overall clean style and the animal heads filling the walls. Karen felt her neck itch as she looked at the severed heads of stags and tigers. She recalled the past when Verdick had rushed to strike her neck.

Verdick and Prince Guiz were somewhat similar.

She got slight goosebumps on her arms.

“…Excuse me, but you don’t look well, miss. It would be better if you returned.”

“Return?”

“Yes. There’s an inn in the town, so you should be able to stay there for about a day.”

“Oh my…”

Karen raised her hand to cover her mouth.

And she thought.

Look at this?

Who’s sick here?

Karen knew Isella’s physical condition well. In a little while, Isella would come down to the Hyer Estate in healthy condition. But she was too sick to even meet someone who had visited the manor. It must be a lie.

“…Why?”

“What do you mean why. There’s no particular reason she’d want to meet you.”

“Even so, there’s no reason to treat someone so coldly to their face like this.”

Karen sat at an outdoor table in the town with Nancy, pouting and sighing heavily. The coachman had gone to buy cigarettes, and Nancy and Karen sat with dark faces drinking water.

“…I didn’t think they wouldn’t even let me into the house.”

Isella was more childish than she had thought.

She needed to be nearby to persuade Raymond when he came looking for Isella. After all, the reason she had come here was to protect Isella, but Isella, who knew nothing, didn’t even want to see Karen. They would end up seeing each other anyway when they went down to the estate, so why was she being so unreasonably stubborn?

It was hard for Karen to understand.

Isella was always like this. She got angry when Karen couldn’t understand, got jealous over trivial things, and made situations worse.

“Would you like to be friends in the next life?”

It seemed quite distant. How could she become close with a woman who didn’t even like meeting her? Especially when that woman had a crush on Raymond.

“A crush on Raymond…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Come to think of it, really… becoming friends seems impossible…”

“I told you so.”

“…I thought it would be possible if I saved her…”

Karen drank the water. And wiped her mouth.

If Isella didn’t meet her and got kidnapped by Raymond, would Verdick suspect Raymond again? It was an unwanted repetition. Karen wanted to prevent that. In this life, she wanted to get along with Isella reasonably well.

But that didn’t mean she liked Isella.

She wanted to save Isella and had set becoming friends as her goal, but the path was distant and she couldn’t muster much motivation. Even if she consoled herself that it was a new attempt for a new life, she couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. Karen gripped the cup tightly.

“I’m… trying to… save you.”

Isella wouldn’t know that.

But even when she tried to understand Isella’s position, her feelings didn’t become comfortable. Karen held out her empty cup to Nancy. Nancy filled the cup with more water.

“But I will succeed. There’s never been a man I couldn’t seduce. How would a woman be different?”

Isella wouldn’t be any different either.

Karen made a resolution while repeatedly drinking cold water.

I will succeed, friend.

Karen’s back ached from the unexpectedly old sleeping quarters. She had thought she might not be welcomed, but she hadn’t imagined she wouldn’t even be provided with proper lodging.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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